


in the moment

by forbiddenquill



Series: Coping Mechanism After MAMA 2019 [3]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: After MAMA 2019, Driving, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, slight angst at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21681802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill
Summary: In which Nayeon calls and Mina is there for her.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina
Series: Coping Mechanism After MAMA 2019 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562296
Comments: 8
Kudos: 335





	in the moment

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I got sidetracked because of Twitter.

Nayeon wants to call Mina the first chance she gets but she has to make sure everybody is okay after tonight’s event. Behind her, Jihyo helps a stumbling Jeongyeon walk a straight line while she scolds her for taking those shots with Momo backstage. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu follow suit, the former wrapped up in a warm embrace by the taller girl. Dahyun is in charge of Momo and Sana, using both of her arms to steady the two older women. The two of them are clearly intoxicated, thanks to Jeongyeon’s terrible life decisions. Dahyun looks like she’d rather be anywhere than here but she pushes on through. 

They’re already at the hotel lobby. Two of their managers have gone upstairs to check on their rooms for extra safety measures while the rest form a protective circle around the group. A few guests of the hotel all gawk at the girls but they don’t take pictures. One of them asks Jihyo for her signature, which she graciously provides. 

Nayeon walks over to where Dahyun is and takes Momo away from her. “I’ll keep an eye out on this one,” she says, nodding over at Sana who seems seconds away from a giggling fit, "You take care of that one."

Dahyun sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Thanks, unnie,” she says, “I don’t know what happened but they apparently had alcohol back in the van.” 

Nayeon sighs, shaking her head. “Jeongyeon?” It’s the only explanation that makes sense.

“Jeongyeon.” The two girls shoot a sharp glance at the said person who is now taking selfies with Chaeyoung, eyes hazy but smiles bright. Nayeon can’t help but smile. At least Jeongyeon is trying to cheer them up with her goofy antics, even though her forgetting her speech halfway through earlier literally shaved off some years from Nayeon’s life. 

The managers return to tell them that their rooms are ready. Nayeon wraps her arm around Momo’s waist, letting the younger girl’s head fall on her shoulder. Momo is clearly seconds away from falling asleep. That’s what alcohol does to her. Makes her stutter on live television and get drowsy a few hours later. Nayeon sighs. Perks of being the eldest, she guesses. 

The next hour goes by so fast Nayeon is pretty sure she’s on autopilot. Jihyo takes care of Jeongyeon, making sure she gets a shower and that she’s dressed for the night. Dahyun does the same for Sana. Chaeyoung isn’t as drunk as the rest of her unnies are but Tzuyu still dotes on her like she’s going to collapse any second. It’s probably because Chaeyoung just recovered from being sick a few days ago. Nayeon snickers when she sees this—Tzuyu is so whipped it’s hilarious. 

Lastly, Momo is left in the hands of Nayeon. After forcing the younger girl to take a shower and preparing her clothes for her, Nayeon is unceremoniously kicked out of the hotel room because all Momo wants to do next is fall asleep without anybody snoring next to her. Nayeon is offended since she wasn’t really planning to sleep over. Besides, she has a phone call to make. 

Once Nayeon is left alone in her room, she does her nightly routine. Take off her make-up, have a quick shower and wear her most comfortable sweatpants. Afterwards, she pulls out her phone from her purse and immediately dials Mina’s number. She knows the younger girl is still awake at this time, despite it being nearly 11:00 PM already. It’s like telepathy, somehow—a part of her knows that somewhere in Kobe, Mina was watching them on TV. After their last concert, Mina immediately went back home. Nayeon wishes she had stayed instead. 

The phone rings three times before it connects. 

“Hi, Nayeonnie,” Mina greets on the other end of call and Nayeon imagines her smiling. 

“Hey.”

“I had a feeling you wanted to talk to me after the show ended.” 

“Yeah, I did.” Nayeon sighs, walking over to the open balcony where she can admire the city lights illuminating the calm of the night. Nagoya is beautiful like this. She hears Mina shifting on the other end of the call, probably trying to get comfortable. They always manage to talk for hours on the phone without even realizing it. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a Daesang tonight,” Nayeon quietly begins, the sadness evident in her tone. 

Mina hums. “You know you don’t have to be sorry for that,” she says, “We got four awards—I think that’s more than enough.”

“I know but—” Nayeon sighs again, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Still, she can’t help but feel disappointed. She really wanted to get a Daesang for Mina. A part of her knows that the younger girl will always be proud of them, no matter what they do and how much they embarrass themselves on National TV, but bringing a Daesang home and seeing the smile on Mina’s face—that would’ve made everything worth it. 

“Unnie.” Mina’s calm voice. The one she uses every time Nayeon slips into her bed back at the dorms, complaining of not being able to fall asleep. Hearing it now is enough to calm Nayeon’s nerves. “You don’t have to apologize,” Mina tells her, “I know how hard you guys worked—”

“ _We_ ,” Nayeon interrupts gently, “We worked hard for this.” 

Mina sighs. A conversation constantly on repeat. Nayeon refuses to let her downgrade what she’s been through the last few months. “Okay,” the younger girl says, “I know how hard _we_ worked for this but awards don’t matter as long as we’re together, right?”

“I know,” Nayeon says again, feeling like a broken record stuck on repeat. She picks at her nails, her eyes fixed on the city below. “I just wish you were here with us.” Almost at once, she feels bad for saying it out loud. She doesn’t need Mina to feel guilty for not being there with them. 

Mina is quiet. 

“I’m sorry,” Nayeon quickly says when the silence starts to get to her. She’s used to silence when it comes Mina but this is uncomfortable and tense, full of many unsaid things. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t be sorry,” Mina says, “I wish I was there too.” 

Nayeon turns her back on the view and leans on the railing. The wind sweeps through the air, bringing with it the scent of the sea and cooling the warmth in Nayeon’s face. It takes her a moment to realize there are tears streaming down her cheeks. She hurriedly wipes them away with her free hand, even though she knows it’s pointless. Mina can’t see her anyway. Perks of the distance between them, she guesses. 

Unfortunately, Mina knows her a little bit _too_ well. 

“Unnie,” she says teasingly, “are you crying right now?” 

Nayeon chokes back a laugh, sniffing. “I’m not,” she says even though anybody with functional ears can tell that she is, judging by the voice her voice cracks. “It’s just—I have a cold, okay?”

“You know you don’t have to lie to me, Nayeonnie,” Mina says in a singsong voice. Then her tone grows more serious as she adds, “I know what you sound like when you’re trying to be strong. It usually works but not this time, okay?” 

“Mina-yah, I’m fine. Please.” 

“I’m sorry for not being there earlier,” Mina continues, “but can I make up for it now?” 

“What do you mean?” 

There’s a knock on the door. Nayeon frowns, wondering if its room service or one of the managers telling her that she forgot something back at the van. “Hold on, there’s someone here,” she says on the phone and quickly walks over to the entrance of the room. She doesn’t realize Mina has already ended the call. 

For good reason, though. 

Because when Nayeon swings the door open, she finds Mina on the other side. Mina, wearing a black cap on top of her long dark hair and a white mask to hide her pretty face. Her eyes are crinkled around the corners, an obvious sign that she’s wearing a smile underneath. She doesn’t look like she just travelled two and a half hours from Kobe to Nagoya. In fact, she looks happy to be standing in front of Nayeon, like the idea of wanting to be anywhere else but here is a foreign concept to her.

Nayeon nearly drops her phone. “What are you doing here?” she asks, voice rising in volume. A mixture of strong emotions passes through her—shock at seeing her, joy that she’s actually here and then guilt for even wishing that she was here in the first place. Mina needs her rest, after all.

Mina quickly raises a finger to her lips, still wearing her eye-smile. “I came to see you guys,” she answers.

“But you’re supposed to be back home!” Nayeon can’t keep the exasperation from her voice but the younger girl doesn’t even flinch.

“I know, I know.” Mina reaches out and intertwines their hands together. Her palms are warm—a contrast to the cold weather Nagoya has brought—and it fuels the spark in Nayeon’s heart. Seeing Mina after not being with her for so long is always a pleasant surprise, even if she tries to pretend that it isn’t. “I had a feeling that I needed to be here,” Mina tells her. 

“I can’t believe you came all the way here from Kobe,” Nayeon points out weakly, “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I should be saying the same thing to you.” Mina tilts her head to the side, looking at her carefully. “Are you busy right now?” 

“No, why should I be?”

“Good. Do you want to go somewhere with me?” 

Nayeon grows increasingly confused. “Don’t you want to see the others?” 

Mina’s eyes soften. “Of course I do,” she answers, her thumbs now rubbing soothing circles on Nayeon’s hands, “but there’s a reason why I knocked on your door first, unnie.”

“And what would that reason be?” Nayeon is now slowly recovering from the shock of seeing Mina in person but her brain is still slow to catch up with what the other girl is trying to say. 

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Mina gestures to the hallway, asking a silent question. 

Nayeon can never say no to her. 

* * *

With her hood up and her face mask on, Nayeon follows Mina down the emergency stairs to avoid being seen by the rest of the hotel guests. Mina keeps their hands connected, not letting go, even though it should be obvious by now that Nayeon would follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked. By the time they reach the hotel lobby, the older girl is slightly out of breath but Mina pulls her along, not even stopping to let her take a breather. Apparently, time is of the essence in whatever plan she currently has. 

Mina leads them to the hotel parking lot where a sleek black Toyota Camry is waiting for them. Nayeon raises her eyebrows at this. “I didn’t know you could drive,” she says, “I thought you didn’t have a driver’s license.” 

Mina smiles. Well, Nayeon assumes she does. She still has her face mask on, after all. “I got one while I was on break,” she says, opening the door to the passenger’s side, “I tried to be productive.” 

Nayeon nods, impressed. “And indeed you are.” 

They clamber inside. The interior is prim and proper, smelling faintly of mint. Nayeon smiles when she spots a penguin keychain hanging from the rearview mirror. Mina takes off her cap and face mask, pulling her seatbelt on and checking to see if all the mirrors are facing the right way. Routine. It’s obvious she’s been driving for a while now. Even though she should be happy for her, Nayeon can’t help but feel disappointed. A part of her has always wanted to teach Mina how to drive. Out of the other girls, she knows Mina would be the fastest learner. 

“Where do you plan on taking me, Ms. Myoui?” Nayeon asks, taking off her own face mask. 

“Patience is a virtue, Ms. Im.” Now that Mina’s face is no longer covered, Nayeon can see how bright her smile is. It’s like seeing the sun after a stormy night, bringing with it a promise of hope and new beginnings. Her heart races suddenly. Mina has always been beautiful but for some reason, the sight of her now, bare-faced and clad in casual clothes, strikes her differently. 

Nayeon looks away in the guise of ensuring her seatbelt is on. 

The drive to their destination is quiet. Mina doesn’t turn the radio on, which Nayeon is grateful for. She likes the silence. When you live with eight other girls, it can be difficult to get a moment to yourself. It helps her think about recent events—from their Feel Special promotions to back-to-back concerts and award ceremonies. The bitter taste of disappointment is still stuck in the back of her throat but she knows it won’t last long. As long as they’re together, everything will be fine. 

Mina’s presence next to her is a reminder that the most important things in life aren’t the material ones. 

Gradually, they leave the brightly lit skyscrapers of Nagoya behind and enter a long and winding road with tall autumn trees on either side. The only source of illumination are the streetlights they pass every few meters, shedding orange light across the inside of the car. Nayeon glances at Mina every now and then, only to find the younger girl’s gaze focused on the path ahead. She seems to know where they’re going. Nayeon wonders what she has planned.

Finally, after half an hour of driving, the car starts to slow down. Nayeon takes a look outside and sees that they’re stopping on top of a small cliffside overlooking the entire city. There’s a railing to stop people from falling to their deaths and a large sign with Japanese words written on them that Nayeon can’t read. She hopes that it’s not a warning telling them there are wild animals lurking around. She doesn’t think she can handle _that_ kind of surprise. 

Still, Mina seems excited. She parks the car at the very peak of the cliff and glances at Nayeon. “We’re here!” she says, reaching into the backseat to grab something. Nayeon turns and sees that it’s a plastic bag from the convenience store located near the hotel. So, this is clearly something Mina planned on the spot. The thought is endearing. 

“Question,” Nayeon says once they’re both out of the car and leaning on the hood of the car. The view is amazing. You can see the entirety of Nagoya from this vantage point. Skyscrapers reaching for the sky, the city lights rivaling the sparkle of the stars in the night sky and the moon providing a steady presence high above the clouds. Nayeon is glad she brought her hoodie with her because the frigid air is enough for her toes to start curling inside her shoes. Thankfully, Mina had the sense to bring a blanket with her and she drapes this across their legs as they admire the sight of Nagoya. 

“What is it?” Mina asks, now pulling random assortments of Japanese snacks from the plastic bag. Choco pie, Sakeru Cheese, Black Thunder, milk pudding and many more. At last, she takes out two pints of ice cream—chocolate for Nayeon and choco mint for Mina. 

“Is this a date?” Nayeon asks bluntly, cackling loudly when Mina nearly drops her ice cream. 

“Can’t a girl take you out on a night drive?” Mina asks, recovering quickly. There’s a faint blush on her cheeks that Nayeon would love to tease her about. But she knows that if she does, then Mina will just end up as a puddle on the ground. So she lets it slide. 

The next few minutes are spent in silence again. Nayeon opens her ice cream tub and digs into the chocolate. Even though they had dinner after the event, there’s still some space left in her stomach. Mina takes small spoonfuls of her desert, her eyes fixed on the view. Meanwhile, Nayeon’s eyes are fixed on her. 

“Did you really come all the way here just to share ice cream with me?” she asks after Mina’s fifth spoon. 

Mina smiles cheekily at her. “I thought you wanted me here,” she reminds her gently. 

“Of course I do.” Nayeon inches closer, wanting some warmth from the other girl. Mina shifts so that they’re facing each other now, their knees brushing against each other’s. “But like I said before, you’re supposed to be back home resting.” 

Mina nods, sighing. “I know,” she says, meeting Nayeon’s gaze, “but like I told you earlier, I just needed to be here.” 

“Why?” 

Mina hesitates again. “Well,” she mumbles, looking back at the view of the city, “I kind of had a feeling that we weren’t going to get any Daesangs tonight.” 

“Oh.” The harsh reminder is enough to plummet Nayeon’s mood. She knows that Mina is just as disappointed as the rest of them are. “You shouldn’t worry about that, you know,” she says, playing with her ice cream. 

“I always worry.” 

Nayeon sighs, knowing that there’s no use convincing Mina. Even during her hiatus, Mina still worried for them. She sent messages every day, asking how everybody was doing, and knitted a sweater when she found out about Chaeyoung constantly getting sick. When they started preparing for their comeback, Mina was there in a heartbeat, asking to join, even though she didn’t have to. Mina took time off for herself but that didn’t mean she didn’t stop thinking of her members. Nayeon understands the sentiment. They’ve been with each other for so long that it’s impossible to separate yourself from the group. That’s just how a family functions, after all. 

At the end of the day, Nayeon knows that asking Mina to stop worrying about them is like asking her to stop loving ketchup—she just can’t do it. It’s a part of her. It’s her way of showing love and affection. She’s so honest-to-God pure and wholesome and it upsets Nayeon that they didn’t win a Daesang. Because if they had, she knows they would’ve dedicated it to her. 

“Don’t beat yourself up for it,” Mina tells her after a short pause, as if she can read Nayeon’s thoughts. Nayeon isn’t surprised if she actually can. 

“I’m not.” Nayeon grabs her spoon and reaches into Mina’s ice cream, taking a huge chunk out of it and putting it straight into her mouth. The brain freeze she receives is worth it to hear Mina’s giggles. 

“Awards don’t matter,” Mina says a little while later. She opens a bag of choco pie and splits it in half, giving the bigger one to Nayeon. “I didn’t get into this life just for the awards, you know. I wanted to be a singer. That’s why I came to South Korea.” 

“I know.” Nayeon bites into snack and looks up at the stars watching over them. “But still, I wanted our fans to be proud of us.”

“They already are.” 

Nayeon thinks of ONCEs, waving their candy bongs while they performed earlier and then sending love through the comment sections of their Instagram posts. The reminder that she’s loved by so many people never fails to make her emotional. Even though they’ve been doing this for four years already, she still can’t wrap her mind around the fact that people from around the world have seen their best and worst moments and still choose to love them all the same. 

“Stop thinking,” Mina says, her eyes following Nayeon’s gaze to the stars, “I can hear you from here.” 

Nayeon chuckles, leaning back on her arms and redirecting her attention to the girl sitting next to her. “You still haven’t answered my question,” she reminds her. 

“About this being a date?” Mina puts down her unfinished ice cream and lies back on the hood of her car.

“Yeah.”

“Well.” Nayeon sees Mina’s throat bob nervously. “It can be, if you want it.” 

“And if I do?” 

Mina’s smile grows at her answer. “Then it is,” she says in return.

Nayeon puts away their snacks and unfinished ice cream back into the plastic bag, sets it aside in the corner and scoots closer to Mina on the hood of the car. They lie side-by-side, staring up at the stars scattered on the night sky. It’s quiet and peaceful with the only sounds they can hear coming from the distant nightlife back in the city and the soft rustling of the forest around them. Nayeon wonders if Mina can hear her heart rapidly beating inside her chest. It’s so loud, it’s impossible not to catch wind of it. 

“Nayeon-unnie?” Mina whispers, shifting her head. From the corner of her eye, Nayeon sees the younger girl watching her. 

“Yeah?” 

“Thank you.” 

Nayeon looks at her, a crease between her eyebrows. “For what?” she asks.

“For everything.” Mina’s expression is so soft Nayeon could just melt from her gaze alone. “You’ve always been there for me, especially during our trainee days. Even now, after four years together, you still haven’t changed.” 

Nayeon smiles. “That’s a good thing, right?” 

Are Nayeon’s eyes deceiving her or did Mina’s gaze just flicker to her lips? “Yes,” the younger girl answers, swallowing audibly, “It’s a good thing.” 

Nayeon doesn’t say anything. Instead, she shifts her position so that she’s lying on her side and sitting closer to Mina, who doesn’t move and seems content in watching her. The blanket slides from their knees and drops onto the ground. There’s a brief moment where they both hesitate—Nayeon can feel her heart thundering loudly inside her ribcage. Surely, Mina can hear it too, right? It’s impossible not to. They’re so close now that she can feel the heath radiating from Mina’s skin, warming Nayeon’s cold fingers when they come up to rest on her cheek. 

“Mina-yah?” she whispers. 

“Yes?” 

“Thank you for being here,” are the words that come out of Nayeon’s mouth before she’s leaning forward and capturing Mina’s lips with her own. The kiss is all lips and no tongue, which Nayeon doesn’t mind. Anything more than this will probably cause her heart to go on cardiac arrest or something. She cups Mina’s cheek with her right hand, fingers curling under her ear. She tastes of chocolate and ice cream. Soft, gentle and sweet. They kiss slowly and unhurriedly, taking their time. If there’s anything they’ve learned recently, time spent with the people you love is precious. 

Mina kisses her back just as eagerly, her own hand coming up to wrap around Nayeon’s neck and keeping them close. Nayeon doesn’t know this yet but this is Mina’s first kiss. And as every first kiss should be, it’s tentative and languid—mouths chasing each other after they break apart, necks tilting at certain angles for better access and lips sliding against one another in an effort to remain connected. 

After a few moments, Nayeon pulls back, eyes slowly fluttering open. Mina, with her hair mussed, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen, waits for her reaction.

“Hi,” Nayeon says, feeling hopelessly in love, as she cracks her eyes open. A large smile blossoms on her lips. 

Mina smiles back, eyes crinkling into half-crescent moons and silver tooth peeking out from behind her lips. “Hi,” she says, hopelessly in love as well, “Do you want to do that again?” 

“Yes, please.” Nayeon sits up and Mina follows suit. Two seconds barely passes by before they’re kissing again. Mina has both of her hands on Nayeon’s face, cupping her cheeks as she breathes into her mouth. Nayeon places her hand on Mina’s elbow, steadying her and letting her thoughts be overwhelmed. All that matters in this moment right now is Mina—Mina’s nose brushing against hers, Mina’s lips pressing firmly on her own, Mina’s thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin. 

It’s enough to make Nayeon dizzy. 

Mina has always been the most soft-spoken member, the girl who prefers to watch things happen from the sidelines, the one who surprised everybody back in SIXTEEN because she was the most unexpected. Nayeon doesn’t know when she started developing feelings for her. Because sitting here now, with Mina enthusiastically kissing her back, it feels so strange to think of a time where she didn’t feel so strongly for this girl. Perhaps it’s because of Mina’s quiet nature that she was able to creep up on Nayeon and take her by surprise. Maybe Nayeon’s always been a little in love with her and she’s just starting to figure it out now. 

It doesn’t really matter. 

As long as Mina is here—everything is enough. 

They both pull away when they hear thunder in the distance, signaling an incoming storm. Nayeon sighs, disappointed, before she glances at Mina. “Guess our make-out session is over,” she declares, her hand still holding the younger girl’s arm. 

“We have time,” Mina promises and Nayeon can’t resist it—she leans forward and pecks her on the lips. She likes the thought of being able to do that now. 

“Yes,” she agrees, smirking at Mina’s dumbfounded expression, “we do.”

The ride back to the hotel isn’t quiet. Nayeon turns the radio on and lets out a bark of laughter when the Japanese version of TT immediately starts playing. Mina groans when Nayeon starts doing the dance next to her. Since she’s driving, she has to keep her eyes on the road but she can’t exactly do that when Nayeon is whining for her to do the TT pose as well. 

“Come on,” Nayeon coos, “just do the pose, that’s it!” 

“Unnie, I’m literally driving. If we crash into a car, it’s on TT.” 

“I won’t kiss you tonight if you don’t do it.”

Mina pauses, her eyes narrowing on the street in front of her. It’s obvious she’s waiting to see if Nayeon will take those words back, which she doesn’t. When they reach a red light, Mina quickly strikes a pose, complete with an aegyo expression. Nayeon throws her head back and laughs loudly. Mina claims she’s not good at being cute but she always manages to make Nayeon’s heart skip a beat every single time.

“Will you kiss me later then?” Mina asks, grinning. 

“I would’ve kissed you regardless,” Nayeon says sweetly, leaning over the gear shift and pressing a firm kiss on Mina’s mouth. 

Mina ends up humming the entire song under her breath, long after Nayeon’s switched the radio off.

* * *

By the time they get back to the hotel, Nayeon’s disguise is already prepared. She waits for Mina to wear her cap and her face mask before getting out of the car. Then she slips her fingers easily between Mina’s when the younger girl reaches her side. 

“When are you going home?” she asks as the two of them walk back to the hotel. 

“Right after you guys do,” Mina answers. 

It’s nothing short of what Nayeon expected but it doesn’t sting any less. It’s always painful to think of Mina not coming and going with them. It’s for her own good, of course, but that doesn’t mean Nayeon has to be happy about it. They don’t say anything else for the rest of their walk back to Nayeon’s room. It’s quiet. Not a soul is in sight except for a few bellboys walking around. Understandable. It’s already half past 1:00 AM. 

As soon as they’re standing in front of the door, Nayeon asks: “You’re staying with me, right?” 

Mina isn’t really good at hiding the pleased expression on her face. “If you want me to,” she says, playing hard to get. Nayeon rolls her eyes, uses her keycard to open the door and pulls the younger girl inside. 

Since Nayeon already showered earlier, she lends Mina some clothes and tells her to take a half-bath, especially after she just drove for two and a half hours. Mina obliges begrudgingly but the frown on her face is immediately wiped away with a few kisses. Then Nayeon passes the time by checking what her members have uploaded on Twicetagram. She face palms at the sight of Jeongyeon winking at the camera, realizing just how _drunk_ her friend really was tonight. 

When Mina comes out wearing her favorite shirt paired with grey sweatpants, Nayeon can’t help but stare. 

“We’re going to bed,” Mina announces, quirking an eyebrow at her, “I know you guys have a flight tomorrow.” 

Nayeon is aghast. “I thought you wanted kisses?” 

Mina quickly shuts her up by kissing her ten seconds tops. Then she pulls away, shimmying under the covers and asking Nayeon to turn the lights off. The older girl sits there on the edge of the bed, mouth hanging open, before she sighs, shakes her head and does as what she’s told. Even though she does want to kiss some more, she knows Mina is right. They have a flight tomorrow and an onslaught of schedules to go through. She can’t wait for Christmas already. 

By the time she slips in next to Mina on the bed, the younger girl is already fast asleep. Guess the two-and-a-half drive was really exhausting for her. Nayeon’s heart flutters at the fact that Mina drove all the way here, simply because she knew something bad was going to happen. Even though Nayeon would’ve preferred to have her rested back in Kobe, a part of her is glad that she’s here.

Her presence is a reminder of what to cherish the most. 

The moonlight bleeds through the opening on the window behind them, illuminating the room just enough for Nayeon to see Mina’s face in the darkness. The younger girl looks at peace, face relaxed and serene. Her cheeks are flushed from the cold and her lips are slightly parted. Nayeon drinks her in, remembering all the times the two of them shared a bed and she would count Mina’s moles as a way to fall asleep. Just like counting sheep backwards. 

Nayeon’s stared at her face so many times already that she knows there’s nine of them. Well, as far as she knows anyway. Unless Mina grew a few more during the time they were apart.

She decides to count them again, just to make sure.

“One,” she whispers, finger touching the mole hidden under Mina’s bangs. 

“Two.” Another one, just sitting next to the first. 

Her fingers move to the next mole she finds—right in the middle of Mina’s forehead. “Three.” 

On the bridge of her nose. One of her most defining features. “Four.” 

Nayeon’s eyes shifts, looking for more. On Mina’s right cheek, she finds three little cute ones forming a small triangle. Barely there, unless you’re really looking for it and Nayeon is. “Five, six, seven,” she murmurs. Mina stirs when her thumb brushes against her cheek but doesn’t wake up.

Her hand moves again, already on its next target. “Eight,” she says when she touches the one on top of Mina’s upper lip.

Her fingers move. “Nine,” she murmurs, thumb resting on the one directly under the right corner of her bottom lip. 

Finally, the one on her chin. “Ten.” 

Mina shifts. Then her eyes slowly peek open. When she sees Nayeon looking at her with a frown on her face, she’s quick to mirror the said expression. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she murmurs, snuggling in closer and letting out a soft sigh. Her hands come up to rest on the older girl’s neck, the warmth from her palm

Nayeon’s frown deepens. “You grew another mole.”

“Hmm?” 

“Last time I checked, you had nine.” 

Mina’s lips quirk into a smile as her eyes flutter shut again. “Such a baby,” she whispers, tilting her head forward so that she can kiss Nayeon on the nose, “You have all the time in the world to count every single one of them over and over again.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I can finish the rest of the other prompts...


End file.
